Styles of Roleplaying
(note: speedtypers: Have you ever seen a tiny fly that keeps biting you and you cant do anything about it because your too slow? Thats exactly what a speedtyper is! They are so inexplicably annoying. Dont be a speedtyper, no one likes a speedtyper.) O'ld World' The original term for god-modding is the act of being impervious, immortal, and never being able to hit your opponent even though they should have taken the hit. The original term for modding is using an ability your character does not have listed on its profile. The Novella style was very strict about your character having a profile before joining their gaming. They were also strict about starting the character from it's very base and over time acquire the skills and powers. Those that did not were often sluffed off as amateurs or immature. Thus it was also called the Honor System. With a profile, cheating was near impossible. At any given moment, it had to be pulled up and given to the moderators to judge rather a hit was supposed to be taken or if it were even legal. If it was to be taken, then the one that made the error had to redo their post and go from there. If the person was found to be able to dodge or block, the sparring or fight would continue as though the call had never been made. If a character is killed, the player had the option of creating a new character and returning to the game, but it had to be played differently as well. It was not uncommon for an Old-World to come across in any style and they are often proud to claim their status. NPC (Non-Player Characters) not only enhanced the gaming experience but also allowed a more engaging experience for the players. The NPCs were often controlled by the GM or Game Master. However, it was not uncommon for a character to start with an NPC doing something to their own character as an entrance. NPCs could also help a Player Character (PC) with gaining abilities, power, strength, or other training benefits as well. Being a veteran of this style myself, I have found that there is a great many people in other styles that will not spar or fight an Old-Style person due to them believing that it was "unfair" or that there was "god-modding" or "modding" going on due to an attack not having the effect they wanted. This is not so, and every one of my character's attacks/defenses have been honed in, refined, and made more powerful. Think of the Old-World style as something like a sword. You start with the basic materials and over time, it becomes malleable, forged in combat and years of roleplaying, refined through combat, and sharpened and polished with time. By the time the character reaches their peak, as stated above, they are some of the most powerful characters around. Another thing to remember about Old-World players is that they are not afraid to take a person or two under their wing and help them build their characters as well. They will literally be some of the most loyal teachers and friends that you can have so long as you respect them. This does not mean you have to kiss up and such an act often annoys the person teaching. Putting the time in to do a character profile will also put your character on better footing with an Honor System player. Profiles in this style are also more for just checks and balances. A profile of the character makes the player think about what their character's strengths, weaknesses, appearance, backstory, and personality the character may have. It also gives the basic stats on things like race, name, nicknames, age, alignment, and other useful information that helps guide the player how to interact and overall just makes for a better character. As a player is accepted into the fold of the style, it is very rare for one player to kill another. This is two reasons. First, most players in this style know the difference between online and real life. They make an extra effort to keep the two separated. The second is that it's just annoying for the players to have to keep coming up with different characters all the time. It is a very strong taboo or no-no to try to tell another person how to play their character. Suggestions or thoughts may be dropped in, but ultimately it is up to the individual player to accept or discard the suggestion or thought. Force hits or moves are also a very strong no hence another reason it is called the Honor System as well. Attacks or interactions that involve another player to move or have something done to their's must have the term "if successful", "if it hits", "it may cause", "if accepted", or some other similar term depending what is going on. If you want to be kicked out really quick, these two ways are the best ways to do that. I hope this helps a lot in your journeys and if you have more questions, please feel free to ask. I'd be happy to tell you. 'T-1' Though it is not as popular as it once was, T-1 stands for Type 1, which can be very debatable, as there are usually 2 types, not only 1. 'Novella ' (Same as Old World, not a huge expert of this style so please add and correct) Novella is a popular style of multi-para roleplay, and can go from a quick one line answer to being several paragraphs long. It is an extended version where greater detail and english language is used. It is made to sound as much like a story as possible and is infamous for having some users of this style be particularly long. Around the time of its popularization, an organization known as Free Forum RolePlay (FFRP) was created. Novella originated before the FFRP however, the leaders popularized its usage. Novella Roleplaying is one of the most refined styles, often going into extra length to detail the surroundings, actions, and overall feelings involved in that particular roleplay. NPC's are often included into novella roleplaying, to inspire a more 'story' oriented style, where people can interact with these npc's and further the story or battle. Multi-Para Though some may not claim it as an official style. It is a term used by the majority of multi-para roleplayers. It is similar to Old World only a bit more relaxed on detail varying on the roleplay. Its sorta a style for people that have no style and just want to roleplay. Para Similar to Multi-Para roleplay only using on average of one paragraph instead of multiple ones. This style is used by most new roleplayers until they are used to using multiple paragraphs. Semi-Para Another common style used by newer roleplayers. By length, they use a couple of sentences but usually not an entire paragraph of text. One Liner One Liner roleplay is the roleplay in which you reply with only one line. Not many people use it, but it is acceptable and is useful for a speedy roleplay and if you're short on time. Speed Roleplaying (T-2) This is a type of roleplay that takes place in IM windows. These are usually quick few worded roleplays that are very quick time. (note: seriously, dont speedtype, its very annoying when it comes to combat..) Grand Roleplaying Grand roleplay, or GRP, is wreckage of composition, proper grammar, and vocabulary word choice. Its origin remain unknown, but it continues to this day by the numbers of people who use it.